What Can Dental Veneers Do For You?

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What Can Dental Veneers Do For You?
What Can Dental Veneers Do For You?

The first set of porcelain veneers are attributed to Charles Pincus in 1928 used in a movie shoot in order to change his smile. These veneers unlike veneers of today, however, were removable. In 1959, acid etching was a technique introduced in order to increase the surface area of both the material as well as the tooth which was to be bonded to, in order to create a much more of a permanent bond. It wasn’t until the 1980’s however that dentists put the two together and porcelain veneers with a somewhat permanent bond to teeth was introduced and patients were able to keep veneers on their teeth for a number of years.

Here at Credit River Dental Centre in Mississauga, we offer porcelain veneers to help you create the smile makeover you have always wanted. Porcelain veneers can help address a number of cosmetic dentistry issues. These include but are not limited to:

  • Minor tooth crowding or misalignment
  • Discoloured teeth
  • Gaps between the teeth
  • Discoloured restorations
  • Teeth with advanced wear
  • Misshapen teeth even due to genetics

Some of these problems cannot be improved with orthodontics. With porcelain veneers here at Credit River Dental Centre in Mississauga, we can fabricate the veneer to customize both the shape of the teeth as well as the colour in order to create the smile makeover you are looking for. Here is a cosmetic dentistry case using porcelain veneers for a patient of Credit River Dental Centre in order to create a smile makeover. We will call the patient E.

E was treated with upper and lower porcelain veneers in order to improve his existing esthetics as well as restore teeth that had damage such as advanced wear and fracture due to a recent hospitalization where the patient was in a coma and intubated for over 4 weeks.

In describing why E sought cosmetic dentistry and wanted a smile makeover, E says, “Being so close to death, I realized in life, don’t wait. Just get after what you want. ”

Photo 1 and 2 are E’s new patient photos during E’s comprehensive new patient examination. Note the chipped and uneven chewing surfaces of the upper front teeth.

At a subsequent appointment, a detailed smile analysis along with impressions and a facebow record were taken. A facebow record allows us to relate where his upper teeth to the patient’s face and then we relate the lower teeth to the upper teeth to make sure the smile makeover not only fits his teeth with each other but also compliments the patient’s facial features.

Photo 3 shows a wax-up that is fabricated by a dental lab-made from the impressions and the facebow record. The wax-up is a key component in cosmetic dentistry and it mimics what his future veneers will look like in great detail with focus on the size, shape and positioning of the teeth.


Photo 4 and 5 show the mock-up or “trial smile” that was made of acrylic-based off the wax-up and the patient tried out his mock smile makeover for about 2 weeks.

Photo 6 After the patient approved the appearance and “fit” of the mock-up, the teeth are prepared and temporary acrylic teeth identical to the mock-up are made. At this stage, we can STILL make any changes to the teeth that the patient desires as long as they don’t violate any biological principles.

Photo 7 The veneers returned by the lab.

Photo 8. The upper and lower veneers and veneer onlays are bonded to the patient’s teeth and the bite is adjusted.

The porcelain veneers at this point are cared for in a way similar to your own teeth. Being porcelain, they are largely stain-resistant. The patient does have to be careful, however, not to bite into anything too hard such as utensils, or fingernails. Otherwise, the patient can pretty much eat all foods. We have also fabricated a nightguard for the patient in case he unknowingly clenches or grinds his teeth in his sleep.

In the realm of cosmetic dentistry, there is no better restorative option than porcelain veneers to give you the smile makeover of your dreams. If you have any questions regarding cosmetic dentistry or smile makeovers, please do not hesitate to call us at Credit River Dental Centre in Mississauga.